Imprint: A Short Story
by Wardsworth
Summary: What if Bella was with Jacob first? What if she hated Edward and what he was? But what if Jacob imprinted and it wasn't on Bella? And what if Edward was the one to comfort her? What would happen then? Note: Imprint is a short story.


I crossed the school parking lot to my ancient truck, vaguely aware of the silver Volvo in the corner of my eye and unnaturally beautiful boy that leant against it. _'Leeches'_ my boyfriend – Jacob – had called him and his family. _'Bloodsuckers'_. Vampires. I shuddered knowing I was in close proximity to such a monster. It was probably slightly hypocritical of me, what with Jacob being a werewolf, but Jacob was only that way to protect people from the vampires. He didn't have to drink _something's_ blood to survive.

I knew he was staring at me which meant only one thing. Edward Cullen knew that I _knew_. I wasn't even supposed to know about Jacob, which had only occurred because during an argument he'd suddenly erupted into a huge dog and had destroyed half my bedroom furniture in the process. Once I'd taken a step into Jacob's world I was introduced to the truth that I shared a town and a school with vampires too. Jacob had assured me that due to a treaty between the two species in our town, the Cullens couldn't lay a hand on anyone, although apparently they didn't do that anyway. They were 'different'. I just hoped that they wouldn't try to silence me in case I leaked their secret. I wasn't that stupid.

I continued towards my truck, staring straight ahead, afraid that if I turned my head an inch in his direction then he would act. That would no doubt lead to a blow up between the two species and of course be all my fault. As I reached the door of my truck I couldn't help but sneak a glance in his direction. He stared back at me, his expression fierce.

"Can I help you, Isabella?" He called across. Ugh. He even used my least preferred name. I saw him take a step forward and threw myself in my truck, slamming the door shut and bringing the vehicle to life as quickly as I could. I was halfway home before I dared look in my mirrors. I had goosebumps all up my arms.

xox

"Do you have a death wish?" Jacob cried as we walked towards La Push beach. "Why would you aggravate him knowing full well I can't protect you there?"

"I thought you said they couldn't do anything?" I shrugged, slipping my hand into Jacob's. I could see the other boys from Jacob's pack up ahead, throwing one another in the sea.

"That's not the point, Bells." Jacob sighed. "Just promise me you won't do that again." He turned to look at me, his face serious.

"I promise!" I said eventually, although I already knew I was never going to do that again. In truth, Edward Cullen scared the crap out of me.

My eyes latched onto Paul, the second oldest member of the pack. He had his arm draped over the shoulders of a familiar looking girl.

"Erm, Jake?" I said, my tone confused.

"Yeah?" He responded casually, playing with my fingers in his hand.

"Is that your sister, Rachel, with Paul over there?" I felt Jacob suddenly tense up. He dropped my hand and coughed awkwardly.

"Um, yep. That's Rachel." I cocked my head to one side and studied the two of them. Paul stared at her as though he'd never seen a woman before. In fact, he stared at her as though he'd never seen anything before.

"Since when was she dating Paul?" My mind wandered back to the last time Rachel had come home for the holidays. I vaguely remembered her being agitated by all of Jacob's friends cluttering up the small house she'd once shared with Jacob and their father. She hadn't known about the secret then either.

"Since this morning." Jacob mumbled. Perhaps he felt awkward about having Paul as his brother in more ways than one now?

"This morning?" My mouth fell open. "And they're already like this?" The pair of them couldn't seem to keep their eyes off one another.

"Guess so." Jacob shrugged but he wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"What's up?" I stopped us from walking and wrapped my arms around his waist. He deliberated for a moment.

"It's just annoying having Paul date my sister, what with the wolf telepathy and all. It's kind of gross actually." Jacob became more relaxed and gave me a small smile. "Although I'm sure I've given him my fair share of _us_."

"That's so embarrassing." I blushed and rolled my eyes. The wolf telepathy definitely made things awkward when you were in a relationship with one of the wolves. Jacob and I hadn't exactly taken our relationship to _that_ level, but that didn't mean I felt any easier about the other boys seeing the things we had done. The first time Jacob had gotten his hands under my top I didn't hear the end of it for two weeks from Quil and Embry. Needless to say I'd shown my face as little as possible in La Push during that time.

"Not as bad as seeing your sister half undressed in one of Paul's fantasies." Jacob exclaimed, shaking his head as if he was trying to erase the thought completely. "I hope I never have to see that again."

"It's odd though," I said thoughtfully. "I never pictured Paul and Rachel to go for one another." Jacob coughed awkwardly.

"Hey look, here's Seth!" I frowned at Jacob's lack of interest on the matter but shook it off as a gangly teenage boy hurried towards us, a grin plastered across his russet face.

"Jake! Bella!" He said happily once he'd reached us. I was about to give him a hug until I realised he was soaking wet.

"What happened to you, Seth?" I smirked, gesturing to his wet shorts. None of these boys ever wore tops. Once they became wolves and developed ridiculous abs it was as though their wolf contract stated that wearing a shirt was forbidden.

"Quil threw me in!" He shrugged, still smiling. "Leah's over there if you want to go and say hi." Seth turned and pointed in the direction of his sister who was lying on the sand.

"Sure." I gave Jacob's hand a squeeze and jogged towards Leah Clearwater. She, Emily and I were the only girls within the pack, although Leah was actually a werewolf herself. We'd always had an ok relationship but I'd never understood her hate for Emily, Sam's fiancé. In my eyes Emily was one of the loveliest people I'd ever met, I couldn't imagine what she could have done to make Leah think otherwise.

"Hey, Leah!" I said, sliding onto the sand beside her. She looked up and forced out a smile.

"Hi, Bella." I watched how she glared in Paul and Rachel's direction. Was Leah jealous? I'd certainly never pinned her as liking Paul either...

"Don't approve of those two?" I nudged her, hoping for answers. "Jake told me they only became an item this morning."

"Ugh." Leah said, her face disgusted. "It makes me sick."

"I guess they are going a bit overboard on the whole public display of affection thing." I felt my own face scrunch up as Paul shoved his tongue down Rachel's throat. "Gross."

"Not that." Leah sighed.

"Then what?" I asked. "Surely you don't have a thing for him...or her?"

Leah laughed once without humour. "Hell no. But he's not himself any more; from now on he won't be the same. It's always the way."

"I'm not sure I understand." She had completely lost me. Of course every teenager knew someone that had ditched their friends because of a new girlfriend, but Paul was tied to his pack, he quite literally couldn't ditch them.

"Sam was just the same," Leah sighed, almost as if she hadn't heard me. "They find _her_ and no one else is good enough for them anymore."

"I really don't think there's a competition, Leah, I mean you guys are all like family. Rachel's just a part of the family now too, just as I was when I found out what Jacob was." Leah suddenly turned to look at me with sad eyes. She opened her mouth as if she was going to speak and then shut it again.

"I just wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone else." She patted my arm and got up and left. I stared after her, still trying to figure out what she meant. I knew Leah had taken becoming a wolf badly, but I didn't realise she hated it that much.

xox

I entered my science classroom looking at my feet. While I'd been aggravating Edward Cullen in the car park I hadn't considered the fact that I had to sit next to him in one of my lessons. At least a classroom was too public a place for him to kill me, although from what I'd heard, he was fast. Really fast. He could probably wipe out the rest of the classroom in a matter of seconds. As I passed the fan in the corner of the room my hair flew wildly across my face, spurring laughter from the rest of my classmates. Although I could ignore them, I couldn't help but notice Edward clinging to our shared desk with all his strength, his face disgusted as if I was a bad smell. Fabulous. So I either smelt so bad he couldn't think of anything worse than killing me, or he really did want to kill me.

I slid into the seat beside him, desperately trying to pretend that I hadn't noticed his initial reaction. "What is your problem?" I hissed.

"Why do you care?" He snapped back at me. He shuffled his chair a few inches further away from mine and opened his text book. I _didn't _care; I just thought he was being downright rude. If he was meant to be going for the whole 'human' approach on life then he wasn't exactly doing a good job of it, although I did sniff my hair when he wasn't looking, just in case I really did smell.

Before our teacher had even told us what we were meant to be doing, Edward had already turned onto a page and began copying as if he had some prior knowledge that the rest of us didn't. Sure enough, when the work was eventually set, Edward had been right. I frowned. Maybe vampires were cleverer than Jake thought. I scanned the room while chewing my pen, thinking about how oblivious the rest of the pupils were to the fact that they were sharing a classroom with a monster, or the fact that I was sitting right next to it. Even I was still struggling to come to terms with everything Jacob had told me.

"What are you thinking?" Edward said suddenly, his face softer this time. My jaw dropped. Even though every bone in my body hated him, I couldn't deny the fact that he was _beautiful_.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I grumbled, turning my attention back to my work. The last thing I needed was my teacher coming over and comparing my three sentences to Edward's three pages worth.

"I don't understand you," He said. "Like the other day when you were looking at me in the parking lot. What were you thinking then?"

I felt my cheeks blush profusely. "I wasn't looking at you."

"Sure!" Edward snorted.

"I know what you are," I snapped at him, hoping it might frighten him off, but his face remained calm. "So don't push your luck."

"I know." He said quietly and started scribbling again.

This was the weirdest exchange. Edward was just like talking to an infuriating, immature teenage boy. Why did he have to appear so human when deep down he was something so vile and inhumane? And why was I allowing myself to get so sucked in?

"What and you don't care?" I raised my eyebrows, wanting to seem an intimidating as possible. Not that I stood a chance against a god-knows-how-old vampire.

"Why would I?" He replied politely, although his words seem strained somewhat. "It's not like you're going to do anything about it. You wouldn't want your _dogs_ to get dragged into the public eye as well, would you?"

_Dogs_? What was he talking about? I opened my mouth to ask but then I clicked. He meant Jacob. Jacob and the rest of the pack. It was my turn to grip the table now, aggravated by his rudeness and obvious threat to my friends. "How dare you." I spat.

"So you're allowed to threaten me but not the other way around?" He cocked his head to one side, a smug grin plastered across his stupid face. I mentally took back my previous thought, he wasn't beautiful. He was an arsehole.

"Jacob exists because of your _kind_." I could feel my anger building.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me then?" The arrogance rang in the air and I cracked, forcing myself up so I was standing in front of him.

"You should be ashamed of what you are," I shouted. "Your existence is foul."

Edward's face looked a little taken aback as the rest of the room turned to stare at me. I felt my cheeks darken again as Mr Banner approached and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss Swan, I think you should sit elsewhere this lesson, don't you?" I gathered up my things and stomped away from Edward, mentally kicking myself for letting him get under my skin. Jacob would be furious for sure.

xox

"I don't know why I got so mad," I sighed into the phone. "He just really wound me up and I couldn't take it anymore."

I frantically scrubbed at the dishes from dinner with the phone resting between my ear and shoulder. I'd tried to put off telling Jacob what had happened at school, but my impatience had gotten the better of me. Now I was taking it out on the washing up and sending bubbles everywhere.

"Just don't speak to him, Bells," Jacob groaned. "I agree that his existence is beyond gross, but I don't need him coming after you all because you had an argument in a Science lesson."

I took a deep breath. "But he threatened you, Jake. All of you." I heard Jacob growl at the other end and I bit my lip.

"Why?"

"I told him I knew what he was in an attempt to make him back off, but he said he didn't care. He claimed that I wouldn't do anything about it because I wouldn't want my _dogs _to get dragged into the public eye too." I was surprised when Jacob started laughing.

"What a tool," he exclaimed. "We can take care of ourselves though, Bella. He didn't threaten you at all did he?"

I smiled into the phone as water sloshed onto the floor. "No he didn't." Something hit my head and turned around to see Charlie had pelted me with a towel. I threw him an apologetic smile and turned back to the sink to stack the plates on the draining board.

"Oh great," Jacob groaned just as other voices emerged in the background of his end of the phone call. "I forgot Paul was coming for dinner."

"Paul doesn't seem like type to have a sit down dinner with the family of his girlfriend." I snorted, wiping my hands on my jeans.

"Yeah well, guess he just can't stay away from Rachel." Jacob sighed.

"Hey, Leah seemed really unhappy about Paul and Rachel getting together yesterday. In fact she started saying some really weird stuff."

"What did say?" Jacob asked quickly, his breathing picking up pace.

"Um, something to do with him not being himself anymore and that Sam had been exactly the same. I'm guessing she means when Sam got with Emily right?" I didn't wait for Jacob to answer as I was too busy talking. "She said it was as though no one was good enough for him anymore, I mean, to begin with I thought she was in love with Paul herself, but it was just really weird."

"What else did she say?" Jacob's breathing was still irregular. I scanned my brain for the contents of the conversation I'd had the day before.

"Actually, the weirdest part was her saying that she wouldn't wish what happened to her on anyone else...and then she patted my arm. How weird is that? It's like she thinks you're going to get a new girlfriend or something!" I found myself laughing as I waited for Jacob's reply. What was up with him?

"Well, you know what Leah's like. She's never exactly been a bundle of laughs from day one!" Jacob laughed too, but it was forced and made me uncomfortable. "Anyway, Bells, better go now or there won't be any food for me. I love you."

Jacob had hung up before I could even say my goodbyes back. I couldn't help feeling as though everyone in La Push had gotten weird since Paul and Rachel had become an item. Aside from the fact that they had seemed like the most unlikely pairing in America, I couldn't see what the big deal was.

"Now that you've finished talking to Jacob, perhaps you could de-soak my kitchen?" Charlie grumbled, coming up behind me.

"Sorry, Dad, I had a bad day." I shrugged, picking the towel up from by the sink and beginning to wipe up the mess.

"So you had to take it out on the house?" He smirked as I rolled my eyes. "What caused such a bad day anyway?"

"Edward Cullen did." I huffed, his name burning my tongue.

"Dr Cullen's boy?" Charlie asked, his forehead crumpling in confusion. I nodded. "Did he hurt you?" I saw his hand twitch towards where he hung up his gun.

"Nothing like that, Dad. He's just stuck up and his personality in general annoyed me today." I wiped up the last of the water and hung the towel on the oven door.

"Isn't that just what boys are like these days?" Charlie shrugged, not really sure what to say.

"Not Jake though, Dad."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I think that's a bit bias though, Bella. Have you considered that maybe Edward Cullen just likes you? I think that's something else teenage boys do."

"Ha, good one, Dad. I'm going to do my homework." I thought I was going to throw up.

xox

I was so tired. I'd been up all night grumbling to myself about Edward Cullen and how stupid I'd been by shouting at him in the middle of the lesson. He would no doubt have it in for me big time now and there would be absolutely nothing Jacob or the treaty could do about it. I was doomed. I sloshed through the puddles towards the school, groaning when I remembered I'd left my gym kit in my truck. Perhaps I could just fake an illness and get out of it for the day? Probably not.

I turned to return the way I came and shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?" Edward Cullen was standing right in my way, staring down at me with amber eyes. Gross – he'd probably eaten some poor defenceless animal.

"Attending school," Edward said matter-of-factly. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you making small talk with me?" I snapped suspiciously. I didn't want to be having a casual conversation with him.

"Am I not allowed to be?" He looked at his feet for a moment as if he was embarrassed. What the hell was this?

"Did my outburst in the middle of the lesson yesterday not make things clear for you, Edward?" I snapped, walking around him and towards my truck. Of course he caught up in a matter of seconds.

"What _things_ exactly?" Why did he have to be so polite? How could anything like him be polite?

"I don't like you," I said simply, yanking my truck door open and retrieving the bag with my kit in. "You are a disgusting vampire and my boyfriend is a wolf."

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" He chuckled. I wanted to punch him but that would no doubt end up with me worse off.

"Why are you talking to me?" I sighed. "We're not supposed to get along. In fact, we don't get along, so leave me alone."

"Does your boyfriend not let you speak to other guys?" He raised one eyebrow as I turned towards the school building.

"He lets me speak to guys. _Human_ guys." I shot at him. "Would you even class yourself as a _guy_? I wouldn't."

"Ouch, that hurt." He rolled his eyes. "What's so amazing about the wolves anyway? They're a pack of stinking mutts with no self control."

I stopped in my tracks and turned to him. "Don't insult my friends, Edward. This conversation is over. Never talk to me again."

I marched away without another word, once again kicking myself for getting caught up in his arrogant crap. I wouldn't let Edward Cullen annoy me for the rest of the day.

xox

"So, Edward Cullen is totally staring at you right now." Angela giggled over lunch. I looked up from my sandwich with a bewildered expression. Could Edward seriously not take a hint?

"Are you serious?" I whispered, throwing my sandwich down onto the table. "He won't leave me alone and it's driving me insane."

"He hasn't got gooey eyes though," Angela observed. "He just looks kind of...confused."

"Well I've explained it to him many times; I don't see what he's got to be confused about." I huffed, not daring look up in case I made eye contact with him.

"Explained what?" Jessica interrupted with a forced smile. "That you already have a boyfriend?"

"Well that and the fact I don't like him." Angela and Jessica exchanged a glance. "Not that I'm interested anyway and neither is he. He's plain annoying."

"Well he obviously likes you if he won't leave you alone." Jessica said bitterly, stabbing at her pasta with her fork. Jessica had always fancied Edward and I just hoped that right now she wasn't imagining me as the pasta.

"Guys, it's nothing like that I can assure you." I wished that I could just explain to them why their ideas were beyond absurd. They didn't know that Jacob was a werewolf or that Edward was a vampire, so they wouldn't know that the two were 'natural enemies'. Jessica didn't know the person or _thing_ that Edward really was. I doubted that she would still fancy him if she knew that he secretly craved her blood or that he fed on the wildlife.

As the bell rang for the end of lunch I heard Angela start giggling again and noticed that Jessica had started smoothing her hair. This could only mean one thing. Edward was coming over to our table. I had to remind myself of the promise I'd made that morning – that Edward Cullen wouldn't annoy me for the rest of the day.

"Hi, Edward." Jessica said breathlessly, now flicking her smoothed hair over her shoulders.

"Hello." Edward said politely, not taking his eyes off of me. Gross. "Bella, do you want to walk to class with me?"

"No." I didn't have to think that one through. I hauled my rucksack over my shoulder and headed for the door.

"You didn't have to be rude about it, I only asked." Of course he had caught up with me.

"You should probably be careful with that whole inhuman speed thing in a canteen full of normal people." I suggested sarcastically.

"Probably a good thing that all these normal people are so unobservant then." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Didn't I tell you that I didn't want to walk with you?" I raised my eyebrows wishing that I was the one with the inhuman speed so that I could ditch him.

"You did indeed."

"So why are you walking with me?" I snapped. My hands squeezed into fists at my sides.

"You might be nicer if you didn't hang around werewolves so much. They have pretty bad tempers too, probably a bad influence on you." Was he asking for a smack?

"Edward, this is exhausting. I don't know what you want with me." I made a beeline for Mr Banner's classroom but Edward beat me too it, chuckling as I blushed profusely.

"I find you quite interesting." He said as if it was part of everyday conversation. I was so shocked that I tripped on the chair leg and fell into him. His arm shot out immediately to steady my fall and I flinched at its resemblance to cold marble.

"That's creepy," I whispered, not sure if I was talking to him or myself out loud. I shimmied away from him and into my seat. "You're like a corpse."

"You can stop stating the obvious any time soon, Bella. I am aware of what I am but your wolves aren't as perfect as you paint them." He snapped. In that moment I could actually see the vampire in him and I cringed into my hands.

"I wish you'd stop bringing them into this. It's not a competition you know? At the end of the day I like them and I don't like you. Simple." I began taking my textbook and pens out of my rucksack.

"Are you going to shout at me again today?" He said softly.

"It depends on how you behave." I blushed at my words; they could have passed as _flirting_. I opened my book hurriedly, looking for the page we'd been working on yesterday.

"Are you embarrassed about talking to me?" Edward asked.

"Just stop talking to me please." Mr Banner threw us an annoyed look, probably worried I was going to give the same performance as yesterday. We were instructed to continue and complete yesterday's work. Hopefully I would just be able to crack on and ignore Edward's irritating presence.

He didn't speak to me until the end of the lesson. "I'm sorry for annoying you." What, he was apologising to me now?

"Um, ok. Thanks I guess." I didn't look up from the table, too confused to even consider eye contact. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain this conversation to Jacob.

xox

I approached Jacob's house just as Paul and Rachel came bursting out, loved up grins painted on both of their faces.

"Hey, Bella!" Rachel called, gripping Paul's hand and tugging him towards me. Paul stared at her face with adoring eyes. I wasn't sure where to look.

"Um, hey. Back again Paul?" I smirked. Jacob appeared out of the house behind them, his eyebrows mashed together in a deep frown. He softened at the sight of me approaching.

"We can't get rid of him!" Jacob groaned. "It's bad enough that I have to see him every day as it is. Now he practically lives here!"

Paul patted Jacob on the back. "You'll understand one day, Jake. You'll be just like me, I can assure you." I saw Jacob and Rachel tense up and Paul's eyes widen.

"Jake and I aren't like that," I laughed awkwardly. What was going on here? "You ok, Jake?"

"Yeah, fine." He said through gritted teeth. He lunged forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me into the house and slamming the door.

"What the hell was all that about?" I squealed wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my head in his chest. "What did Paul mean? Is he not expecting us to be together for very long?"

"Paul was just being Paul." Jacob said quickly. "He probably thinks that he and my sister have the best relationship of us all. Just ignore him." Jacob kissed me on the head and pulled me through into his room.

"Right, ok." I said, still unsure. I sat down on his bed and stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"So, how was school today?" He avoided eye contact. "Did Cullen bother you again?"

"Kind of," I sighed. "He's confusing. I don't really understand why he won't leave me alone."

"What do you mean he won't leave you alone?" Jacob growled, suddenly at my side with his eyebrows mashed together again.

"He's always trying to walk with me or stare at me or something. Apparently he finds me _interesting_." I shrugged.

"What a creep!" Jacob collapsed back onto his bed. "I'd love to get my hands on him. I hate that he's acting like this towards you."

"Hm. I fell over today and he caught me. He's like a dead body, Jake, it's so gross." I shuddered at the memory.

"That's because he _is_ a dead body, Bells. He's a living corpse!" Jacob rubbed my back while he spoke. "It's like you're being haunted."

"Don't say that!" I squealed, twisting so that I was lying beside him. He pressed a warm kiss below my ear.

We lay quiet and thoughtful for a while until the questions in my brain were almost too painful to ignore. "Jake, why has everything become so strange around here?"

Jacob deliberated for a moment. "How do you mean?"

"Ever since Paul and your sister go together things have seemed odd."

"In what way?" I could hear his breathing speed up again.

"Well Leah hates the idea of them together and she said all that strange stuff. You're strange when it comes to talking about it and when Paul made that comment earlier you all froze up as if he'd said something he wasn't supposed to. Are you keeping something from me?" I mumbled.

"No of course not." Jacob mumbled back.

"Is it wolf business?" I looked up at him but he wouldn't look at me.

"There's nothing going on, Bella. Drop it." There clearly was something going on but I didn't want to press the matter. I didn't need another experience of Jacob losing his temper in front of me, especially not in this tiny bedroom. I would get destroyed along with the furniture.

xox

_A week later_

I hadn't heard from Jacob in a week. At least, not properly. After that conversation he wouldn't answer my calls and whenever I turned up at his house he wasn't home. Or he just wouldn't answer the door. I'd asked the wolf pack whenever I'd seen any of them but even they wouldn't tell me anything.

"He's probably just busy with school." Seth had assured me. "Don't take it personally." But even then there was a look in his eyes that told me I needed to be concerned.

"We're really busy with pack stuff. Wolf business comes first, Bella." Sam had replied to my text message. I couldn't help noticing that even though this was apparently the way it worked, whenever I'd been to La Push Sam was always with Emily or Paul was always with Rachel. What did they have that made them more important than wolf business that I didn't? Maybe because I didn't have the same ancestors as they did or perhaps I was too pale?

Waking up on a Saturday with nothing to do was a first for me. I was usually doing something with Jacob while our Dad's went fishing. Charlie and Billy were fishing today, but Jacob hadn't made any plans to see me. As much as I wanted to mope and figure out what had gone wrong, I decided to get out and go for a walk. Jacob would come around soon enough, he always did.

I hiked through the forest next to our house, stumbling through the pathways until I found the clearing that I often went to when I was feeling low. It was a meadow full of flowers or dirt, depending on the season, but was still beautiful either way. What I wasn't expecting to see sitting in the middle of it though, was Edward Cullen.

"Are you stalking me now?" I grumbled as I approached him. He was sat in my favourite spot, almost as if he'd done it on purpose.

"I think you'll find that I was here first, therefore you're the one stalking me." He smiled a crooked smile and I found myself blushing.

"But what are you doing here?" I hesitantly took a seat beside him on the ground, doing a double take when I thought I saw something sparkly on his face. Upon closer inspection I realised that his _skin_ was glistening in the sunlight. He looked like a human shaped diamond. "What the hell is that?"

Edward looked down at the bare skin of his arms which were also sparkling. "It's just a vampire thing."

"It's a_ creepy_ thing." I corrected, looking at my own boring arms. They were also pale, just not resembling a rock.

"I know." He sighed and for a minute I almost felt bad for him. "I'm here because this is one of my favourite places."

I gawped at him. "This is one of _my_ favourite places."

"Looks like we actually have something in common for once." He smirked. I wasn't sure how I felt about having something in common with Edward. It felt like I was betraying Jacob who, although currently absent in my life, was still my boyfriend.

"I think that's where it stops too." I mumbled, looking away from him.

"What's up with you? You've been miserable all week." So now he cared about my feelings as well as our mutual interests?

"Maybe because I've had to put up with you every day?" I suggested, rolling my eyes.

"But I apologised to you. I was on my best behaviour during the week just gone." He looked genuinely concerned that he was the cause of my discomfort.

"It's not you really." I said eventually.

"What is it then?" He pressed.

"Why on earth would I tell you of all people? Just because we both like the same place doesn't mean you're suddenly entitled to knowing everything I'm thinking and feeling."

"Usually I'm entitled to knowing what everyone is thinking whether they want me to or not." He said quietly. "Apparently it's not the case with you."

"Huh?" He was speaking an entirely different language now. How could he possibly know what everyone is thinking?

"I can hear people's thoughts." He shrugged.

"You can hear people's thoughts? How?" My jaw was practically on the floor.

"Should I really be telling you? You run with wolves after all." Edward pursed his lips.

"Oh shush, _I'm_ not a wolf. Just tell me, I'm intrigued." I said, genuinely interested now. I saw Edward's lips twitch as if he was about to smile.

"I don't know how. It's another vampire thing."

"Can you all do it?" I asked, referring to the rest of his family.

"No, only me. Alice and Jasper have gifts of their own." I felt like I was being told a fairytale. I cast my mind to Edward's brother and sister who were actually together. Alice had always been a strange individual and Jasper looked like he was permanently in pain.

"What can they do?"

"Alice can see the future," Edward said casually as if 1 in 2 people could do the same. "And Jasper can manipulate other people's emotions."

"Wow." Was all I could say. "Trust you to get the annoying special power."

"I'm much nicer than you think, Bella. If you got to know me we could be friends." Edward gave me a friendly smile and I had to blink to remember where I was.

"Why would I want to be your friend?" I snorted. "Have you forgotten who my friends and boyfriend are?"

"Speaking of which, you don't smell quite so dog-like today. Haven't seen your loveable puppy recently? Is that the cause of your sadness?"

"That's none of your business." I snapped at him.

"So it is the reason why you're miserable." He chuckled.

"I'm glad you're finding it so amusing because I'm not." I felt a lump in my throat and sniffed.

"Please don't cry, I didn't mean to upset you." Edward said quickly. He placed a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged him off.

"I don't need your pity, thanks." I wiped the traitor tears away with the back of my hand.

"You can talk to me about it if you like? I promise I won't laugh." I couldn't believe Edward Cullen was genuinely asking me if I wanted to talk to him about my relationship problems. Only days ago I'd been shouting at him in the middle of our lesson. Mind you, only days ago Jacob wasn't ignoring me. My first thought was that I didn't want to tell him. What reason did I have to? Edward had no significance in my life other than being an annoying vampire that I shared a school with. He had no right of knowing my personal business, especially if he found it so amusing. But on the other hand it was nice having someone to talk to and maybe, just maybe, Edward wasn't as bad I had originally thought. Of course I didn't agree with his existence or his liquid diet, but maybe his personality was genuine.

"You really want to know?" I asked him, looking at him when I spoke for once. He nodded.

"Of course. It might surprise you Bella but I am actually capable of caring and I so happen to care about you." Well that _was_ a surprise. What had I done to deserve that?

"Thanks, I guess? Doesn't really seem right considering I've been so rotten to you from the beginning."

"Whatever. You're stalling now, just telling me what's up." I stared at him for a moment before I began.

"Jacob's sister started going out the Paul, one of the other wolves." I began.

"So?" Edward laughed awkwardly.

"Well since that happened everything has been weird." I bit my lip.

"In what way?" Edward prompted.

"Well Leah, the only female wolf, really disapproved of the whole thing. She said Paul would never be himself again and that no one was good enough for him anymore. And then she told me that Sam was exactly the same and that she wouldn't wish what happened to her on anyone. But she looked at me as though it was going to happen to me or as if it was already happening. I mean it's not like I'm going to become a wolf, right? So I have no idea what she meant, unless something else has happened to her that I don't know about."

"I see." Edward said, his fingers drumming on his leg.

"And then the other day Paul said something about how Jacob would be like him one day and Jacob completely freaked out. It was like Paul had said something that he wasn't supposed to say, at least not in front of me anyway."

"Right."

"Jacob wouldn't talk about it with me and whenever I tried to he started breathing quickly as if I was about to uncover something he'd been keeping from me, even though he assured me there was nothing going on." I was talking so fast that I almost forgot to breathe. "And I haven't heard from Jacob since. That was a week ago."

"I see." Edward was looking at his hands awkwardly.

"Edward do you know something about this?" It was a long shot as he was from the vampire world and my problems existed in the wolf one, but seen as they were both mythical beings that shouldn't have existed in the first place, it was possible.

"Potentially, yes." He replied hesitantly. Now he was being weird too, great. After today I probably wouldn't hear from him again either.

"Well tell me!" I urged, throwing my hands in the air.

"Bella, are you aware of imprinting?" Imprinting?

"No. Should I be? What is it?" I asked hurriedly.

"For humans you would call it finding your soul mate. Even we vampires would class our mates as our soul mates, but for werewolves they have an imprint," Edward explained. "The wolves imprint on someone who will help them pass on the wolf gene. When they've found them that person literally becomes their everything that they would do anything for. It's much more than having a boyfriend or girlfriend; it's like finding someone who is the reason for your existence. Nothing else matters once they have found this person." I nodded eagerly, trying to link what Edward was telling me with the current situation. "The wolf can't bear to be apart from the imprint, they would be anything from a best friend to a partner, whatever the imprint requires."

"So what exactly are you saying, Edward?" I thought about the way in which Paul looked at Rachel and how Sam behaved around Emily. "Are you saying that Rachel is Paul's imprint? Is that why it was so sudden?"

"I would say so," Edward shrugged. "At least that's what it sounds like."

My mind wandered back to Jacob's behaviour. Jacob and I loved one another and we'd been together for over a year. He always told me how he'd do anything for me, so surely I was his imprint? "But what has this got to do with Jacob and his ignoring me? I mean, if I'm Jacob's imprint then surely he can't bear to be away from me right?"

Edward didn't reply straight away and I felt my heart racing. "Are you sure that Jacob has imprinted on you, Bella?"

"Why wouldn't he have?" I asked defensively.

"I just thought that you would know about the imprinting if he had. The imprints are very sacred part of the pack." I thought about how Emily and Rachel had seemed more important that 'wolf business' but I hadn't.

"Of course he has. Jacob probably didn't need to explain it to me because we were already in love." My voice was shaky and I knew Edward wasn't buying it.

"I'm not saying that Jacob doesn't love you, Bella." Edward said quietly.

"You just don't think I'm worthy of being imprinted on, is that it?" I snapped, getting to my feet.

"Bella don't be ridiculous. I'm just trying to help you remember!" Edward sighed, also getting up off the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"So tell me, Edward, why do you think Jacob is ignoring me?" I knew exactly what he was going to say, I just wasn't sure I wanted to hear it.

"I think maybe you need to consider the possibility that Jacob might not have imprinted on you and therefore when he does imprint it's going to massively affect your relationship."Edward said quickly.

I felt the hysteria bubbling inside me and before I knew it I was back in the classroom shouting at him again. "You just love to upset me don't you, Edward?" I shouted at him. "From now on keep your stupid advice to yourself!"

I turned and marched away from him, not looking back until I reached my house.

xox

I stared at the name calling me on my phone screen. My heart was racing. Jacob. Jacob was finally calling me. Clearly he couldn't bear to be away from me and therefore I was obviously his imprint. I answered the call and squashed the phone to my ear.

"Hey Jake!" The words fell out of my mouth.

"Hi, Bella." He said, his voice sad. "I really need to talk to you." The words that no girl in a relationship wants to hear.

"Sure, Jake. When do you want to talk? Where have you been this last week?" I said desperately.

"Could you come by now? I'll tell you everything then. I would come to you but I know Leah wants to speak to you as well." What could Leah want?

"Of course, I'll see you soon." The call went dead and I stared at the phone. Whatever Jacob wanted to tell me did not sound good at all. My conversation with Edward replayed itself in my head as the anxiety kept building. I should never have spoken to him in the first place.

The journey in my truck seemed slower than it ever had before. Everything around me was an insignificant blur compared to what was going on right now. I tried to tell myself that perhaps Jacob was trying to break it to me that I was his imprint, but he was just nervous and felt bad that he hadn't mentioned it before. On the other hand I couldn't help thinking that perhaps he was going to tell me we were over because he hadn't imprinted on me. If I wasn't Jacob's imprint then I wasn't good enough for him or the wolves. I didn't realise I was hyperventilating until I was outside his house.

My door opened and warm hand helped me out. I looked up into the eyes of a tired looking Jacob. Perhaps they had been busy with wolf stuff after all. He led me through into his lounge and sat me down while he paced in front of me and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I don't really know how to say this, Bella," He said quickly. "I'm not entirely sure how to explain."

Of course I already knew what he was trying to explain. I just didn't know _why_ yet. "Take your time, Jake." I think I said. Although the blood in my head was pounding so loudly that I couldn't actually hear myself speak the words.

"Bella, I've imprinted." Jacob finally announced. He continued to pace the length of the lounge. He didn't specify anyone else so of course I just assumed. A smile spread across my face. "I haven't ever told you how imprinting works, so you'll have to bear with me here while I figure out how to explain."

"I already know." I confessed, looking down. Jacob stopped pacing.

"How? Did Leah tell you? She wasn't supposed to because you're not really supposed to know." He babbled.

"Edward Cullen told me, Jake."

"What? How? When?" Jacob snapped at me, his eyebrows mashing together.

"He told me yesterday, Jake." The pounding was still so loud; I just needed Jacob to tell me I was his imprint so that I could calm down.

"But yesterday was Saturday...what were you doing with Edward Cullen at the weekend?" His eyes narrowed slightly but he didn't seem as concerned as I'd thought he would have.

"We bumped into one another. It's a long story, Jacob, so please just finish yours first." I took a deep breath and waited for him to continue.

"So yeah, I've imprinted." He repeated, as though he still hadn't figured out what to say next.

"That's brilliant, Jake, I mean I think I already knew considering we've been so close recently, until last week of course, but this means we'll always be together right?" I beamed at him, but Jacob didn't return my smile or enthusiasm. Instead his eyes welled up with tears. "Jacob?"

I didn't need to ask him what was wrong, that much was obvious. I wasn't Jacob's imprint after all. Everything Edward had said had been true. "I'm so sorry, Bella, but I imprinted on someone else."

"I know." I whispered. "I mean, I know that now."

Jacob hurried forward and took my hands in his. "I still love you though, Bella." I withdrew my hands as my own eyes welled up.

"When did this happen?"

"The day after you were here...with me." So he had been home all those times I'd come knocking for him. "She goes to my school. We sit next to each other in Spanish and I've never really paid much attention to her before, in fact I used to find her quite boring. Then one day I couldn't paying attention to her and all I wanted to do was be around her and protect from...well anything."

I was crying now. Fat hot tears spilled over and ran down my cheeks. Jacob took my hands again and squeezed them tight. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say now, Jake." I admitted. "What happens now?"

"We can still try and make it work, Bella. Emma and I are just best friends now." Best friends already? I remembered when Jacob had been my best friend which had been up until about 5 minutes ago.

"But you love her." I pointed out, crying again.

"I love you too!" Jacob said desperately.

"But one day you'll want to be more than best friends with her and I'll mean nothing to you anymore."

"You'll always mean something to me, Bella! You're ridiculous to suggest otherwise!" But how could I honestly believe him? From what Edward had told me the imprint becomes _everything_ and they become their _anything_. How was I ever going to compete with that?

"It's not going to work, Jacob." He knew it was true as much as I did.

"But I don't want to give up on what we have." His lip wobbled as he spoke.

"You already did," I mumbled. "When you ignored me for a week."

I got up and left the house, unable to face him anymore. I headed for the beach where I knew Leah would be waiting for me. Maybe now I would be able to understand her strange comments from the other week. I passed Quil and Embry on the way and both smiled at me sympathetically, probably afraid to say anything after seeing my red puffy eyes.

"Bella!" Leah called, running towards me. She also noted my eyes and hugged me for a brief moment. Leah wasn't one for public displays of affection.

"Hi." I said weakly, slumping down on the sand.

"I'm so sorry that this has happened to you," She sighed. "Trust me, I know how it feels and it sucks." My mind rewound to what she'd said to me before.

"You loved Sam didn't you," I gasped. "He was your boyfriend before he imprinted on Emily." It was hard to picture Sam with anyone else now that I'd seen him with Emily.

"Got it in one." She groaned. "I'm still in love with him too, which makes it suck even more."

"Jacob says he still loves me." I shrugged. "He wanted to try and make it work."

"That would be a ticking time bomb, Bella, I hope you told him where to stick it." Even though Leah understood the concept of imprinting and why it was necessary I was amazed that she still opposed the very idea of it and somehow blamed it on the wolves themselves.

"I told him it wouldn't work," I confirmed. "How could I compete with that kind of love? It makes what Jake and I had look like nothing in comparison."

"I know how that feels," she sighed. "It's totally cruel. Being a werewolf has ruined my life in so many ways."

"But what do I do, Leah? I felt like I had a place here if not a second home! Now I have no reason to be here at all." I felt as though I was about to cry again.

"That's the other thing about this situation, there's literally nothing you can do about it. Even if their imprint is repulsed by them they'll continue loving her. It was horrible of me at the time, but when Sam hurt Emily I really hoped she would hate him for it. Somehow it brought them closer together." She shrugged.

"So I just carry on with my life but without Jacob and all of you?" My voice cracked slightly.

"We'll always be your friends, Bella. Jacob will definitely always be here for you, you just won't have the same relationship as you had before. It'll get better over time, I promise."

"How's that working out for you?" I raised an eyebrow and Leah laughed.

"Point taken."

I took a deep breath and wiping my eyes with the back of hands. "I think I need to go home and have a break from Jake for a while. When I'm ready I'll talk to him about this properly and get the closure I need."

"Sounds like you're already working towards moving on from it, Bella. I wish I had been like you. I became a total bitch and have agonized over the situation ever since." I pulled myself up from the sand and brushed it off my jeans.

"Thanks, Leah. I should probably leave now."

"You know where I am if you need to talk." She said with a small smile.

xox

School was going to be horrendous; I could just feel it as I drove towards the parking lot. I was going to have to face Edward after what had happened on Saturday and not only apologise to him for how I acted but also inform him about Jacob and that he was in fact right. As if his ego needed to be any larger. I'd avoided telling Charlie, even though he'd noticed my puffy eyes and tear stained face over dinner. Perhaps Billy would tell him for me and come up with an excuse that wouldn't involve delving into the depths of the fact that we shared a town with vampires and werewolves. I wasn't surprised to see Edward waiting for me by his car, even if I had been horrible to him.

The fact I'd been horrible to him for no reason when he'd been so nice to me, on top of everything else going on, set me off crying again. Edward appeared by my side before a second had even gone by. "Is everything ok?"

I took one look at him and became hysterical. I wrenched my truck door open and hauled myself into it. Edward materialised in the passenger side, his face a mask of calm. "You were right!" I sobbed, burying my face in the steering wheel. "He imprinted on someone else and there's nothing I can do about it!"

I was surprised to feel a hand stroking my hair and tucking it behind my ears. A very humanly gesture from someone who wasn't at all human. "Bella, I think school is the last thing you need today." He said simply. "How about we get you excused by the nurse and I drive you home. If you would like that of course?" I couldn't think of anything better than going home right now, even if it meant Edward Cullen was coming with me. I nodded and he was suddenly at the driver's side, helping me out of the truck with gentle hands.

The nurse took one look at me and agreed that I should go home, with a little persuasion from Edward of course. We made up some nonsense about a migraine and then I was suddenly in the passenger seat of his Volvo, staring miserably out of the window as he drove away from the school. "What about my truck?" I mumbled pathetically.

"Alice is going to drive it home for you at lunch."

I didn't question him, I just nestled into the seat and didn't speak until we had pulled up outside my house. "Will you come in?" I asked quietly.

"If that's what you want. I'll be gone before you father comes home from work, I promise."

I nodded eagerly and in the next second Edward was opening my door and lifting me out of the car. "I can walk, Edward." I grumbled.

"I'm just being a good friend." He smiled. He lowered me so that I could unlock the door and then carried me through the house and placed me on the sofa.

"So would you like to talk about it?" He took a seat next me, waiting patiently. "We could always talk about something else if you'd prefer."

I was struggling to come to terms with the fact that only weeks ago Edward was the natural enemy of my boyfriend and friends and now I was about to cry my eyes out in front of him and tell him about how pathetic my life was.

"Everything you said was absolutely spot on," I whimpered into my hands. "He imprinted on someone else just as you said could happen."

"Does this mean it's over between the two of you?" I couldn't help noticing that there was a shred of hope in his voice.

"He said he wanted to try and make it work but we both knew it was never going to. I mean, how long would it be until he decided he wanted to be her boyfriend instead? As I said to Leah, I would never be able to compete with that kind of love." I noticed Edward clench his fists. "Is everything ok?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, it's just I could quite literally hurt him for upsetting you like this." He sighed.

"Why do you even care, Edward?" There was an awkward silence. "It's not that I don't appreciate your support, it's just that I find it very odd."

"I honestly don't know," He said quietly. "There's just something about you. I feel protective over you and I care for you more than I probably should. I felt terrible about how Saturday ended; it was never my intention to upset you like that."

I held my hands up. "It's me who should be apologising for Saturday, Edward. I was plain rude to you and I'm sorry about that. You were nothing but kind to me and you didn't deserve to be treated like that."

"What a strange situation we're in." Edward chuckled.

"It's a situation?" I asked, confused. "Don't be offended, Edward, but you're my friend...just, nothing more."

"I know that." He smiled. "Anyway, back to you. What do you plan to do about Jacob now?"

"I'm having a break from Jacob for now. At some point I'll talk to him again and get closure for this. I don't think I could face him again for a little while." I felt my lower lip wobble. "Edward, do you think you could give me a hug?" Edward threw me a frantic glance for a moment and then seemed to pull himself together. He shuffled along the sofa and wrapped an arm around me. I snuggled into his chest the best I could although it was like cuddling a boulder.

I felt bad for cuddling someone else when I was heartbroken over Jacob, especially as it was a Cullen, but Edward had been there for me all along, even if I hadn't appreciated it at the time. I wondered what Jacob would have thought if he knew he'd pushed me out of the arms of a werewolf and into the arms of a vampire. I shook my head. I didn't want to think about Jacob. Instead I nestled into Edward again and closed my eyes. The last thing I remembered was a cold hand rubbing my back.

xox

When I opened my eyes I heard Charlie's cruiser pulling up outside the house. I was cuddling a cushion instead of Edward so I figured he must have left. He'd basically waited a whole day watching me sleep. As I pulled myself upright I found a piece of paper resting on my stomach. There was a note scribbled on it in Edward's flawless script.

_I left before your father arrived as promised. Your car is out front too.  
If you would like me to return tonight, leave your bedroom window open.  
Keep smiling. – E_

I gawped at the piece of paper. What did he mean by leaving my bedroom window open? In fact, what did he mean by coming back tonight? Were we having some sleepover date in which he doesn't sleep that I'd confirmed in sleep talk?

I scrunched the paper up and threw it in the bin just as Charlie walked in the house. His expression was angry.

"Good day, Dad?" I asked him, scrubbing at my eyes again in case there were any traitor tears remaining.

"No." He hung up his gun and turned to me. "Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" So Billy had decided to tell Charlie after all.

"I guess I didn't really think it was important." I shrugged, heading for the fridge. Cooking dinner would distract me from my miserable thoughts.

"Is that why you were so upset last night?" He huffed, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.

"Pretty much. I'm guessing Billy told you?" I asked as I rummaged in the vegetable tray.

"No, Jacob phoned me at work can you believe? He wanted to know how you were and when I asked why he informed me that he'd met someone else and that when he'd explained you didn't really clarify if it was over or not." Charlie's face had gone purple with rage. "I told him that even if you hadn't said it was over, he could take it from me that it was! How dare he treat you like that, Bells!"

I rolled my eyes and turned away from the fridge. "Yep, it certainly sucks, Dad. I'll be ok though, I have good friends."

"Most of those were from La Push though, honey. Maybe that poor Edward boy you hate so much could be in for a chance now!" Charlie headed towards the television and flicked it on.

"Edward's actually been a good friend through this. I think I judged him before I knew him well enough to." I could feel myself smiling slightly.

"Well don't let _him_ walk all over you. I'll certainly be talking to Billy about this at the weekend." I was about to reply that there was no need but the commentator from the current baseball game interrupted me. Charlie would be too distracted now to continue a conversation anyway, although it was nice of him to try.

I put as much effort as I could into dinner, using the leftover fish from Charlie's fishing trip at the weekend. I wanted to remain as distracted as possible about everything that had happened over the past few days, but couldn't help thinking about my day with Edward and the note that he'd left me. I wasn't sure I was very comfortable with the idea of him in my bedroom, although he had given me the choice. Perhaps he really was just looking out for me and I was still intrigued about his lifestyle, so those questions would keep me distracted. I decided that I would leave my window open after all.

Once dinner was over and washed up I headed for bed. I couldn't face doing any homework and I didn't have any due just yet anyway. The idea of emailing my mother was off-putting too, mainly because she would want to know what I'd been up to recently and that would involve reliving my painful heartbreak all over again. She would have to wait a few days. Once I was changed and had cleaned my teeth I went straight to my window and opened it as wide as it would go, part of me genuinely excited about the night ahead.

It was a while after Charlie had begun to snore that Edward Cullen slipped through my window and into my room. I felt embarrassed seeing him standing there in the moonlight while I was in my scruffy pyjamas and under the duvet, but he was just my friend so those things didn't matter. He smiled at me and sat at the end of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Trying not to think about it all really," I shrugged. "I was wondering if I could ask you more questions about you and your family. After Saturday I'm genuinely interested to know more and it's not like I'm going to go and spill all your secrets to the wolves anymore. Not that I did anyway."

Edward smiled that crooked smile again. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"They told me that they agreed on the treaty because you're different from other vampires. Something to do with your diet, you drink animal blood instead right?"

"That's correct," Edward confirmed. "My family and I wanted to coexist with humans rather than drain them. Drinking animal blood satisfies our thirst but it doesn't fulfil our need for it entirely. We call it a vegetarian diet, a bit of a sick joke really." I couldn't believe how at ease we were discussing Edward's diet. Maybe he had been right about it being a strange situation after all.

"Does it affect you physically though? I mean surely if you aren't getting exactly what you need then you're at a disadvantage?"

"Not necessarily. Other than the fact that we are always hungry, even if just a little bit. It's also the cause of my eye colour."

"Jacob told me that once." I sighed as I spoke the name. "Apparently your eyes would be red if you drank human blood."

"He was correct. These eyes, although still a little strange, help us blend in better with you humans. Of course we still have ridiculously pale skin and as you noticed, we sparkle in the sunlight, but other than that we look just as human as you do." He was so wrong. He had obviously never looked at himself in the mirror before.

"You're way off," I snorted. "I'm sure you've heard this many times, Edward, but you're beautiful. Like genuinely beautiful. Your sister Rosalie is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."

Edward rolled his eyes. "She's also very shallow. While Jasper, Alice and I have supernatural gifts, Rosalie believes her gift is her beauty. Besides, the 'beauty' as you put it is just part of how we would trap humans to feed from them."

"Oh." Was all I could say.

"Precisely." Edward added.

"Edward, how old are you?" I realised that I'd never asked before.

"I'm 17 of course!" He laughed.

"Ok then, how long have you been 17?" I pressed.

"I'm over a hundred years old. I was born in Chicago in 1901 and was turned in 1918 during the Spanish influenza."

"Wow. That's seriously gross, Edward. I have an old man in my room right now; I'm not sure how my Dad would feel about that!"

"I'm sorry if it bothers you." He said sadly. "Considering your initial choice of boyfriend I can't help wondering if I'm the wrong monster for you."

"Don't be absurd," I snorted. "I'm enjoying your company very much."

"I am too." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I should probably get some sleep now. I don't need another breakdown in the school parking lot that's for sure." I shuffled under my duvet to get comfortable.

"I won't see you tomorrow, it's a sunny day." He sighed. "I hope you have a much better day though."

"Maybe you could come back and see me at night again tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course. Whatever will make you happy." My opinion of Edward had gone from beyond gross to beyond amazing. He got up to leave.

"Perhaps you could stay until I fall asleep?" Edward beamed at me in the moonlight and laid down beside me on top of the duvet. I rested my head on his chest and inhaled his scent.

"Sweet dreams, Bella, I'll be here to keep you safe."

Within seconds I was asleep.

xox

I was surprised by how downhearted I was that Edward wasn't going to be in school. It was certainly going to make dealing with the Jacob situation a lot harder as I wouldn't have a distraction for the day. Perhaps there would be some unimportant gossip in my group that would keep me occupied until I could crawl into the comfort of my bed at the end of the day.

The parking lot felt somewhat empty without him and thus left me feeling quite alone. I tried not to think about how alone I really was now that Jacob had found someone else that I couldn't compete with. I had to take a deep breath to prevent myself from repeating the break down I'd had the day before, after all, Edward wasn't here to help this time.

Jessica and Angela grabbed me the minute I entered the building and hurried me along to our lockers. "So!" Angela squealed excitedly. "Eric told us about Jacob and so we were thinking about a girl's night in Port Angeles tonight?"

I stared at them, both my mind and expression blank. How did they know about this already when I'd barely found out myself? "Of course we're really sorry that this happened to you, but the best thing to do is stay distracted right?" Jessica added.

"How does Eric know about what happened?" I mumbled, my eyes stinging.

"Eric works for the school paper, Bella, he knows everything about everyone." Angela shrugged. "So what do you say about tonight? We were thinking shopping and dinner?"

I hated shopping and I was pretty sure both girls knew this. That and their slightly insensitive approach left me wondering if they just wanted to use my heartbreak as an excuse to go out, either way, going out seemed entirely more appealing than moping for the duration of the evening until Edward turned up. "Um, sure."

They ran off gossiping and giggling while I stared after them, bracing myself for the day ahead. The gossiping and giggling continued through lunch while they discussed where we were going to shop and where we were going to eat. I personally didn't care as long as it let me have a break from the mess my life was in right now. Why couldn't I have just chosen a normal human boyfriend who didn't transform into a huge creature and didn't have any ties to a pack? That way my breakup would have been upsetting but for a legitimately normal and human reason, not because they'd 'imprinted' on someone who they hadn't given a crap about for the past three years. And to think I was now getting close to a vampire who was even less human and even more intense. I was never going to learn.

Jacob somehow found his way into my thoughts in all of my lessons, particularly in biology when I sat next to a vacant seat with no one to talk to. It struck me how much I was beginning to depend on Edward despite the fact that we shouldn't have been friends at all. We'd gone from hating one another to having this intense friendship that included him staying over while Charlie slept and snored, none the wiser, in the next room. I'd bounced from one monster to the next in a heartbeat.

My heart stung slightly at the realisation that despite walking out on him, Jacob hadn't actually tried to contact me directly since he'd broken the news. He'd spoken to Charlie, but that just came across as impersonal and as though he honestly didn't care. I knew I needed and wanted closure but I wasn't sure I really wanted to have to make the effort to go and see him when he was the one in the wrong.

I stared at the empty seat and wondered what Edward would say to me right now. What would he think about how I was feeling? He said he cared about me which seemed like a hell of a lot more feelings for me than Jacob clearly had. Although the worst part was that this whole thing wasn't really Jacob's fault at all so I didn't really have anyone to blame other than this 'Emma' who had caught his eye and ruined everything. If I saw her now I'm not sure what I would have said but it definitely wouldn't have been kind.

I was relieved when the bell went for the end of day and I was climbing into my truck to leave. As I drove I looked out the window at the sun bouncing off the trees and wondered what Edward and his family did on days like this. Did they really stay in doors for 24 hours? At least when it was dark Edward could come out and come to me.

If the evening in Port Angeles turned out to be a disaster, at least I had that to hold onto.

xox

I had already lost count at how many shops we'd been into. My legs and feet were tired and my stomach was desperately trying to tell me how much it needed something to eat. Angela and Jessica were laden with shopping bags and yet seemed to still be looking for more items to buy while I gave my opinion on everything the best I could. I didn't really need anything but I wasn't sure they did either. They just liked to spend.

"So what is going on between you and Edward Cullen then?" Angela asked while she paid for her fourth pair of shoes this evening. I opened my mouth but I wasn't entirely sure what to say. I didn't know what was going on my myself.

"I guess that's why Jacob broke up with you right?" Jessica added bitterly. My heart ached in protest of her words. I hadn't done anything to make Jacob break up with me, which was another reason why it totally sucked.

"That's not true," I mumbled. "And Edward and I are just friends. He's been really nice throughout this whole thing."

"Maybe a bit too nice?" Jessica raised her eyebrows as we left the store.

"We're just friends, Jess." I told myself to keep breathing and not to get worked up.

"Well why did Jacob break up with you then?" She urged, rolling her eyes. "It was all a bit sudden wasn't it? There must have been a reason."

Just as I opened my mouth to reply, Angela spoke first. "Why don't you look for yourself, Jess." We all looked up and in the direction where Angela was staring. Jacob had just come out of a store with a girl tucked under his arm. She had the same russet coloured skin as he did and long black hair that reached her waist. You couldn't deny that she was beautiful. My self-esteem hit the floor. They turned and began walking towards us, oblivious that I was standing there gawking at them with my mouth open.

"Wait, are you saying that he left you for someone else?" Jessica whispered and suddenly held my hand. Although I hadn't appreciated her comments all evening, I did appreciate her support right then, without it I think I would have crumbled into a heap on the pavement.

"What a tool." Angela gasped, placing her free hand on my shoulder. "Let's turn around and go the other way."

I wanted to turn but my feet were rooted to the spot. All I could do was stare at how perfectly matched they were and how wrong I seemed in comparison. I had been right when I'd said I wouldn't be able to compete with her. Jacob kissed her forehead and a sob bubbled up into my mouth. He'd told me they were only best friends, not a couple. Clearly my walking out on him had changed that.

"Come on, Bella, let's move before he sees you." Jessica said quickly and quietly. I knew I should move but my brain just wasn't communicating with my feet.

Angela was about to turn me around herself when Jacob spotted us. He made eye contact with me for a second and then looked away, embarrassed and ashamed. Emma looked at him; her expression confused, and then looked at me. A single tear ran down my left cheek.

"Hi, Bella." Jacob forced a smile and stopped in front of us. "How've you been?"

I couldn't speak, I just continued to stare. "We're just leaving actually." Angela mumbled, tugging on my hand to leave.

"Don't go on my account." Jacob sighed. He looked at Emma out the corner of his eye. "This is Emma by the way."

Emma blushed scarlet. "Hello, Bella."

Suddenly I came to life. "Hi." I snapped at her. "Having fun with my boyfriend?" I heard Jessica stifle a laugh beside me.

"I'm so sorry, Bella, I feel terrible for what's happened, but that's just the way it works with Jacob, surely you know that?" Of course I knew that! How much did she know? She'd only known him five minutes whereas I'd known him my whole life.

"So I take it we are over then?" My voice was shaking. It was a stupid question really considering it was plain obvious that we were over.

"I thought that's what you wanted." Jacob mumbled.

"I didn't want any of what's happened," I replied, suddenly bursting into tears. "This whole situation has been about you."

"You know that there's nothing I can do about it, Bella. I still care about you, I always will."

Jessica burst out laughing. "Nothing you can do about it? What a pig! I'm going to get the car so that we can leave." If only she actually understood what Jacob meant. She disappeared with her bags, leaving Angela looking very bewildered beside me.

"We don't have to make a scene here." Emma interjected, clinging onto Jacob as if her live depended on it.

"This is your fault." I cried. "Why did you have to come into his life? Everything was perfect!" Emma cringed away from me while passersby stared on their way home from work.

"Don't speak to her like that, Bella!" Jacob snapped defensively. "This is not her fault at all! You're being immature now." So he was right when he'd said he wanted to protect her from everything and anything. Now he was trying to protect her from his psycho ex-girlfriend.

"I'm being immature? You're the one who ignored me for a week because you were too cowardly to tell me the truth!" I cried, my vision blurry now from the frantic tears. The streetlamps came on and I felt as though I was in the spotlight.

"Calm down, Bella." Angela whispered, rubbing my back. "Jess will be back in a minute and then we can get out of here. We'll go and get dinner and then take you home."

"I think Jacob needs to leave actually." I gasped at the sound of Edward's voice. I scrubbed at my eyes and looked up at his fierce expression; his eyes were black and he looked furious. Emma squealed and took a step behind Jacob. She'd clearly been informed of the vampire stories.

"What the hell do you want, bloodsucker?" Jacob growled, his arms trembling.

"Careful, puppy, you wouldn't want to lose control here." Angela looked at the two of them, her face a mask of confusion. "Angela, Jessica is just parking down the road. Why don't you go with her and I'll make sure Bella gets home safe and sound."

Angela threw me a frantic glance and I squeezed her hand. "Tell Jess I said thanks and I'll see you guys tomorrow." Angela and nodded and then ran as if she couldn't get away fast enough.

"Anyway, Jacob, I think you've caused Bella enough upset this week so I suggest you be on your way now." Edward's voice was calm but persuasive.

"You can't tell me what to do. What business do you have with Bella anyway?" Jacob glanced at me and then back to Edward. "Why did you spend the weekend with her?"

"Oh you care do you?" Edward snorted, his eyebrows raised.

"Of course I care!" Jacob snapped. "I think you're forgetting what my purpose is."

"So you only care about your chances of destroying a vampire rather than my safety?" My lip wobbled again. Both of them ignored me.

"I'm Bella's friend and as her friend I don't like to see her upset," Edward shrugged. "Therefore I think it would be wise if you continued on your way."

"You're making a big mistake, Bella." Jacob grumbled and barged past us with Emma in tow.

I waited for them to disappear from sight and then crumpled on the floor, blocking the pathway for the people trying to get past. The tears came thick and fast now accompanied by sobs that ripped from my chest. It reminded me of when Jacob lost his temper and phased. I wished that I could phase into nothing so that I wouldn't have to experience these feelings anymore. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted up off the ground.

"I've got you, Bella, it's going to be ok." Edward had actually picked me up off the ground and was carrying me. "I'm going to take you home now."

I buried my head in his chest and cried until I had no tears left.

xox

I stared at my bedroom ceiling while Edward stroked my hair and hummed a tune. I was all out of tears but had still emotionally explained to Charlie what had happened in Port Angeles and that I never wanted to speak to Jacob again. To avoid anymore teenage angst he'd ordered himself a pizza and let me go up to bed without another word. Charlie was good like that.

Edward, of course, had been waiting in my room for me with open arms. I'd thrown myself on the bed and wriggled as close to him as I possibly could. We'd laid in silence for over an hour.

"It's such a mess." I whispered into the darkness. "How can so much go wrong in a matter of days?"

"It's not your fault though." Edward said soothingly.

"Thank you for everything, Edward," I sighed. "I don't know how I would have got through this without you."

"It's my pleasure." He said simply.

"It's funny how it's changed between us," I snuggled into him a little closer. "I can't imagine not having you in my life anymore."

"I know how you feel," Edward mumbled. "I've never felt this way about anyone during my entire existence."

"You've never had a best friend?" I chuckled, but Edward didn't reply straight away.

"I guess not. I've always kept to myself really and no one has ever expressed any interest in becoming my best friend."

"That's quite sad, really." I surprised myself with a yawn. "You're actually much nicer than I first thought."

"I'm relieved you think so." Edward laughed.

"I'll be your best friend." He tucked a strand of hand behind my ear.

"I already consider you that way." I found myself smiling.

"We might have been friends before if you'd tried to get along with the wolves." I pointed out.

"Bella, would you honestly be friends with people whose sole reason for existing was to destroy you?" I knew he would be rolling his eyes.

"Point taken, but what I'm trying to say is that the main reason I didn't like you was because of what Jacob had told me about what you are. I never even stopped to consider your personality! As far as I was concerned you were a soulless, blood drinking demon!" I laughed. "By the way, I still don't really dig the whole blood drinking thing. Let's face it, it is gross."

Edward laughed and gave me a playful nudge. "Do you still think I'm soulless?"

I thought about all the support he had given me since the Jacob mess had started. "No."

"I do," he sighed. "I think I'm probably going to hell, that's if there is an afterlife for this afterlife."

"Edward, you could never go to hell," I rolled onto my stomach so that I was facing him. "You've been far to kind to me to even be considered for hell."

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I'm a murderer, Bella. It's in my nature."

"Well I don't believe that," I poked his nose and snuggled back into him. "You already stopped drinking human blood! I think only the vegans and human vegetarians would see it your way."

"So my existence isn't foul then?" He teased.

"Apparently not." I mumbled, so confused about how easily I was discussing this with him. Not to mention the fact that I was cuddling him in my bed as if he was my boyfriend. Maybe I felt more strongly for Edward than I realised.

"Are you asleep?" He whispered. I chose not to reply and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that sleep would actually come.

xox

"What happened after we left?" Jessica asked desperately, almost falling off her seat at the lunch table rather than sitting on it.

"Edward looked really mad!" Angela grimaced. "I'm kind of glad I went when I did." I gazed over to where Edward and his family usually sat, but the sun shone through the windows and reminded me of why I was having to cope without him today.

"Nothing exciting," I shrugged. "Edward asked Jacob to leave and he did, and then he drove me home."

"But Edward looked like he was going to kill him for you! Or at least throw a punch on your behalf!" Angela sighed dreamily.

"I still can't get over what Jacob was saying, especially as he had that little bimbo tucked under his arm." Jessica huffed. "He was so full of himself; I wouldn't have minded throwing a punch for you either." That I would have liked to see.

"So there must be something going on between you and Edward now, surely?" Angela pressed whilst unwrapping her sandwiches. "If there was nothing going on then he wouldn't have been so defensive of you." I didn't know what to say so I took a bit out of my apple. "Oh my god, there is isn't there?"

Jessica's eyes flashed to my face and narrowed. "But you just broke up with Jacob!"

"I don't know if there's anything going on with Edward!" I said quickly, my cheeks blushing scarlet. "I don't think I'm ready for all that again so soon anyway."

"But you do like him." Jessica stated simply, stabbing at her pasta again. She hated Jacob but she didn't want me to be with Edward either. I couldn't win.

"I think so," I spoke hesitantly but the words sounded and felt right. "He's just been really great to me recently."

"So have we!" Jessica protested. "But you're not crushing on us."

"I think that's a little bit different." Angela and I laughed.

"Edward and Jacob are entirely different guys; it would be a huge change." They were entirely different species too but I couldn't tell them that.

"Well even if _you_ aren't sure, Edward clearly likes you a lot." Everyone was quiet for a moment while they ate and recovered from a morning of leaning. I was consumed by my thoughts and the new feelings I had for Edward. How on earth would I even approach something like that with him anyway? Surely I couldn't go out with someone who was going to look the same for the rest of his life, which was most likely to literally be _forever_. I shuddered at the thought of Edward and I cuddling in my bed in 70 years time, him still a Greek statue and I withered and wrinkled. There was no way that was going to happen.

"You're thinking about the possibility, aren't you?" Angela wiggled her eyebrows and took another bite of her sandwich.

"Who doesn't think of the possibilities when it comes to Edward Cullen?" Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes. "I know I have a million times."

It was no secret that Jessica was madly in love with Edward and had been ever since he and his family had 'transferred' here from Alaska a couple of years earlier. I'd arrived not long after and had quickly fallen into a relationship with Jacob, becoming repulsed by Edward's presence ever since. Things were so different now. I felt embarrassed for being so shallow and judgemental when all he'd been trying to do was fit in, just as I had been when I'd moved here from Arizona.

Perhaps I could see past Edward's diet, after all, he was repulsed by mine so that made us even. He was as human as a vampire was going to get and in all fairness he had tried really hard. Without Jacob's wolf influence it was as though I was seeing things clearly now for the first time.

Jacob's falling in love with someone else may not have been his fault, but he hadn't tried to comfort the blow. He hadn't made it any easier for either of us, instead ignoring me while I had naturally received comfort from elsewhere without looking for it. The imprinting had made it clear that Jacob and I weren't meant to be together, but Edward Cullen, the reclusive and brooding vampire who hadn't had a best friend or mate in the 100+ years of his existence had been drawn to me like a magnet. I hadn't wanted to sit next to him in Biology let alone in a meadow with him, but I had anyway, and although I'd hated to admit it at the time – I'd enjoyed it. I'd enjoyed his company and in some ways had craved more of it. Even now when I was supposed to be recovering from a broken heart caused by the tragic and unavoidable end to an almost two year relationship, all I could think about was a chance with Edward. What if Edward and I _were_ meant to be?

I looked up at Angela. "Yep, I'm thinking of it alright."

xox

It felt like I hadn't been to La Push in a very long time. As I pulled up outside Jacob's house I realised that it didn't feel like home anymore. The worn, red wooden house was just another building among the many other identical ones on a reservation near my home in Forks. I didn't belong here anymore.

Jacob's wary expression appeared in the kitchen window and I wondered if Emma was there too. I didn't feel like I wanted to verbally abuse her anymore and I didn't feel like I was going to breakdown in front of Jacob either. I felt surprisingly calm but I decided to stay in my truck and let Jacob come out to come just in case.

"Bella?" He said, his face puzzled as he stepped out and shut the door behind him. He'd probably told Emma to stay inside. He approached my truck with caution, probably expecting me to freak out again. I wound down my window and forced out a smile.

"Hey, Jake."

"What's up? What're you doing here?" He asked. Concern suddenly crossed his face. "Did something happen with Cullen?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nope, not that it's any of your business anymore."

"So what do you want then?" He snapped back defensively. "Because if you're here to have another go at Emma then you can think again. What you said to her last night was horrible and I won't have her upset like that again."

"Don't worry, Jake, I'm not here to offend the love of your life." I said bitterly. Jacob blushed.

"Bella-" he began, but I raised my hands.

"Listen, Jake, I'm here to tell you that I'm ok. I get that this situation couldn't be helped and that it was going to happen one day or another whether I liked it or not. Don't get me wrong, it sucks, and I feel like I've not only lost my boyfriend but my best friend too, but consider this me getting closure, ok?" Jacob nodded, his cheeks still pink. "I know that even though you imprinted, you still loved me and if I'm honest, a part of me still loves you too, but I think all this has made it pretty clear that we weren't meant to be together anyway."

"Only because of the legends." Jacob sighed. "If it didn't have to be this way then you know we'd still be together."

"That's beside the point, Jake. What's done is done and there's no going back, so just be happy ok?"

Jacob's eyebrows mashed together. "You're making this sound like goodbye."

"In some ways it is goodbye," I shrugged. "But this place is too painful for me to be in now and I have other friends who need me."

"Tell me you aren't seriously friends with Edward Cullen?" He growled.

"None of your business remember!" I laughed but Jacob didn't laugh with me.

"I don't like it, Bella!" He grumbled, his hands twitching.

"And I don't like you and her!" I fired back, pointing to the kitchen window where the curtain twitched. Emma could have at least tried to be subtle about eavesdropping.

"It's your life." He sighed eventually.

"Sure is!" I smiled and began to wind my window up. "See you around, Jake!"

As I drove away I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.

xox

Charlie seemed surprised that I'd coasted through the evening without a single tear or emotional outburst. He watched me warily from across the table as he ate his favourite meal, occasionally looking at his gun out the corner of his eye. I thought it would come as a shock to him if I just suddenly announced that actually I was fine and there was nothing for him to worry about, so I just ate in silence, giving him the odd reassuring smile every mouthful or so.

I was relieved once I'd swallowed my last mouthful, tapping my feet under the table impatiently as I waited for Charlie to finish too. I had a date in my bedroom to attend and I didn't want to be late. As Charlie ambled over to the couch I swept his plate up and into the sink, once again sloshing soapy water all over the kitchen. It felt like years before the plates were stacked on the draining board and I was bidding my Dad goodnight. He gave me a bewildered look as I placed a kiss on his forehead and made a bee line for the stairs, tripping over the steps as I went.

I burst through my bedroom door with a grin stretched across my face and looked at Edward who was waiting patiently in my rocking chair, his mouth twisted up into a crooked smile.

"You look happy." He pointed out. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

I took a deep breath. "You have."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Edward smiled again but he looked confused. "But what exactly is it that I've done?"

"Edward, I have feelings for you." The words fell out my mouth like mush. "I know that Jacob and I have only just broken up and you're probably going to say something like 'you're confused' but I have a perfectly logical explanation to back this up!"

"Right. Go on." Edward said smirking. He got up from the rocking chair and stood in front of me one hand cupped around my face. I had to remind myself to breathe.

"Jacob and I might have loved each other, but his imprinting just shows that we weren't meant to be, whereas you and I, well, I hated you!" Edward frowned as I laughed. "But even when I didn't want to be anywhere near you, we couldn't seem to stay away from one another. These past few days that you haven't been at school have been torture for me."

"And for me," Edward sighed. "You have no idea."

"You've never had a best friend or a mate in your entire existence, Edward, and suddenly now we've developed something between the two of us that we can't explain. It's like we were under each other's noses all along and didn't realise." Edward continued to stare at me. "What do you think?"

"Would it be crazy if I told you that I'd been thinking the same thing?"

"Really?" I leant into his hand and beamed at him.

"The truth is Bella, I love you. I know that right now you don't and can't feel the same way but if I promised that I wouldn't hurt or upset you for the rest of my life, which is a long time might I add, do you think you could get past what I am?"

"I'm already past it." I whispered and crushed my lips to his.

*_ The End _*


End file.
